Efacec is the leader of the SCALE project – Scalable Centralized Grid Protection, Automation and Control, co-funded by the European Union under Portugal2020, which aims to develop a platform for the digital distribution substation of the future, enabling the control, monitoring and protection of medium voltage (MV) electrical networks in a centralized manner.
This solution, designing and developing centralized protection systems for substations, challenges the current digital substation architectures, and is also a disruptive alternative to the previous generation of PAC products and solutions applied today in the industry, with strong impact on the business model.
The solution to be developed will thus consist of an innovative architecture with high added value through the integration of flexibility in the distribution network, as well as by the increased ability to adapt to new functional requirements, particularly relevant in the dynamic network contexts of the future.
“At the same time, the project will enable the integration of innovative centralized and smart applications, allowing for greater flexibility and adaptation of the protection and control system as smart grids and the integration of renewable energy/ DER (Distributed Energy Resources) evolve, which have so far been more difficult to realize.”
The project involves an investment of around two million euros and has a scheduled completion date for the first half of 2023.
The SCALE project is led by Efacec and developed by the consortium comprising ARMIS, INESC TEC and IT Aveiro, also involving the participation of E-REDES (ex. EDP Distribuição) and INESC-ID.
For Ana Cristina Aleixo, Efacec’s project manager, “Efacec has been developing and investing since 2018 in innovative automation solutions for substations in the international market, enhancing the evolution of the traditional concept of protection and control for fully digital substation solutions, digitalization of the station-bus and process-bus, asset management and cybersecurity”.
With products and systems present in over 60 markets, Efacec has been distinguished for creating value in the energy sector, thanks to a continuous investment in R&D.
